The Art of Bonsai Project

This thread is for discussing the feature gallery "The Bonsai of Robert Steven".
http://artofbonsai.org/galleries/steven.php

Every time I look at Robert's creations, they fill me with utter amazement. While maintaining an air of naturalness, they have something deeply personal about them, reflecting Robert's curiosity and sense of wonderment. His work constantly reminds me of the endless possibilities and contexts that a material can lend itself to. And also hope that bonsai is open to new ideas without the danger of becoming stale and outdated. Thank you for inspiring all of us.

I have only recently heard of Robert, through the mention of his book. I do have a deep penchant towards "Penjing", it is a route I would like to follow. The reason for the latter is I find the traditional Japanese style too stiff. Now, to the purist, I may be way out of line here, but for artistic impression I believe one can achieve far greater works keeping to the naturalistic side of the art, not only does it seem to "flow" better, I believe one can achieve greater character and depth with their displays.

I believe not too sound cliche, he pours his "soul" into his work, not unlike his book title. I have found many who practice "Penjing" do possess that quality, which is then elequently transmitted to their work, in short it demonstrates a true passion for the art. One need only look to Zhao or Van Lit and can see the same passion displayed in their respective works.

I have been captivated by the work of Robert Steven since I first became aware of it 2 or 3 years ago. I believe that Robert, along with Walter Pall and Qingquan Zhao, are 3 artists that will have a profound influence on the art of bonsai for years to come.

These three gentlemen have art living in their souls, and their work is the window that allows us to gain better understanding of the truth.

If I may be so bold, I would like to express a slightly different view than Robert's on one point. He says, "Nature is the best teacher and nature is never perfect". I believe that nature is always perfect. It is only our conception of nature that is imperfect, and as we struggle to learn, our understanding of the perfect path becomes less clouded.

Thankyou Robert. I hope you can come to California someday and we can meet. I look forward to it.
Mike

Robert Steven demonstrated his art in Puerto Rico during the summer of 2005. He created a Penjing while giving a training of the subject which was captivating. While he required translator, his work speaks more than words do.
He is a great artist, and his work is fresh and very appealing.